


Doodles

by PearlsonFriday



Series: Olivarry Week 2017 [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Actor Oliver, Actual Puppy Barry, Bullying, Day 3: Soulmate AU, Drawing Soulmate AU, F/F, F/M, I AM SO SORRY THIS IS LATE, M/M, Olivarry Week 2017, Panic Attacks, Trigger warnings:, implied icky stuff, mild homophobia, no powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 06:08:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11480262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PearlsonFriday/pseuds/PearlsonFriday
Summary: When Oliver Queen was nine, his father died in his arms.It had been late at night, his father had decided to walk home from work. Oliver had questioned him, “Are you sure it's really safe Dad?” His blue eyes wide in mild terror.His father had just laughed. “How will we know if we don't try it?”





	Doodles

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry this is late. My tweaks went a little late and I had to go to bed. I really enjoyed this verse and I hope you enjoy it to. 
> 
> Please look at the trigger warnings in the tags and be same. It's all really mild, I promise.
> 
> This is from one of my favourite personal head canons. I love to think that Barry can draw really well, because in Legends of Yesterday, he drew a picture of Vandal Savage that was photorealistic. Even though he's fast, it takes skill to draw a picture like that. I definitely couldn't.

When Oliver Queen was nine, his father died in his arms. 

It had been late at night, his father had decided to walk home from work. Oliver had questioned him, “Are you sure it's really safe Dad?” His blue eyes wide in mild terror. 

His father had just laughed. “How will we know if we don't try it?”

Oliver liked when his father laughed, but he was still worried. “Isn't it kind of dangerous to live that way?” 

Robert had smiled. “What's life without a little bit of danger?” He then tapped his chin dramatically. “Didn't you say just yesterday that your name was Oliver Danger Queen?”

Oliver had shoved his father blushing, which had only served to make Robert laugh harder. “Fine let's just go!” The boy stormed out followed by his laughing father with a coat slung over his shoulder. 

They had only made it two blocks. 

They had both heard heels tapping too fast on the sidewalk and had turned. A slightly out of breath Isabel Rochev stood there. 

“Ms. Izzy? What's the matter are you okay?” Oliver asked instantly concerned to see the woman who was usually so put together in distress. 

“No, not really, but I've come here to fix it.” She patted his head absently while staring at his father. 

That's when Robert stepped forward pushing his son slightly behind him. 

“Don't do this now. Not in front of him. Please.” 

She snarled and pulled out a gun. 

Oliver gasped. 

“No! It has to be in front of him. Then maybe he will learn from YOUR mistakes!” She turned to Oliver gun still pointed at his father’s chest. “You father,” she spat disgustedly. “Ignored me. I was his soulmate and he knew it but he ignored me for your whore mother.” 

Oliver stepped forward much to his father’s horror. “My mother is not a whore.” He said quiet and shaken. 

“YES SHE IS!” She screamed waving the gun around before pointing it at his father. “She stole my soulmate from right under me. She took my only chance at happiness. IF I CAN’T HAVE HIM NO ONE CAN!” 

Three shots rang out. Robert collapsed groaning. Oliver tried to catch him but ended up falling on his butt. Isabel stared at her dying soulmate blankly for only a second before she turned the gun to her own head and fired one last shot. 

Then all was silent. 

Oliver cried. 

Tears poured down his face as a bloody hand reached over and grabbed his own. 

“Oliver I,” his father’s twisted in pain. “I don't have a a lot of time so listen close.” Oliver scooted over and picked his father’s head off the ground setting it in his lap. His father’s blue eyes roved his face as he winced. “Don't make my mistakes.” A deep breath. “When you meet your soulmate treat them like they hung the stars, okay?” Oliver nodded tears coming faster. “No, that's not good enough promise me.” His father stared into his sons eyes. 

Oliver’s voice shook. “I promise.” 

“Good.” His father sighed and turned his head to look up at the stars. “I love you, don't forget.” Oliver watched as his father’s bright blue eyes went blank. 

He sat in the pool of blood, crying. It was then that he took his father's final words to heart. 

\-----------

At seven, Barry Allen knew he was different. His only friend is two years older than him. Iris listens to him as he babbles about how the world works and how the universe was born. She doesn't mind when he gets lost in his head or draws mathematical calculations in chalk on her driveway instead of flowers. In return she gives him smiles, brownies and teaches him how to talk to people who don't speak Barry. That makes her the best. 

He just hopes that his soulmate doesn't mind him either. 

\-----------

Oliver turns ten six months after his father dies and three months after his sister is born. 

He loves Thea. He loves the way she gurgles. He loves the way she sighs. Most of all he loves that she doesn't treat him like he's breakable and how she still falls asleep in his arms even though his hands are covered in blood. 

Oliver waited all day for a sign. He remembers earlier in the year when his class learns about soulmates. He remembers learning that when both halves of a soul mate pair turn ten, anything they draw on their skin can be seen by both parties. Learning that after they both turn ten, they will share dreams and so Oliver had waited patiently until he turned ten to try it. 

He waited until late at night, until Moira was asleep. Earlier in the morning his mother had pulled him aside to talk to him about soulmates. She had squeezed his hand too tight. “You're ten today.” She had said. 

Oliver had nodded. 

Then she had looked deep into his eyes. “There is no time or place for soulmates in our world.” Ice over taking her small frame. Oliver sputtered and opened his mouth to reply. “I don't care what your father said,” Her grip tightened. “The world is not kind to our soulmates and I don't want to hear about them again.” With that she had dropped his arm and gone to welcome guests to his birthday party. 

So he and Tommy waited until they were tucked inside a blanket fort they had spent the evening constructing. 

Both boys watched closely as Oliver wrote Hi on his arm. Then they waited, and waited, and waited. Hours later, tears dripped down Oliver’s face. Tommy pulled his best friend closer. 

“Maybe they’re just younger than you.” The brunette said into blonde hair. Oliver nodded weakly. That was something to hope for. 

\----------

On May 16th, Barry had the strangest dream. He dreamt of clouds too soft to touch. He reached out and they turned to concrete dyed red with blood. 

\-----------

Oliver was 11 the first time he was in a movie. It was after his mother married Walter Steele, who turned out to be her soulmate. 

Walter was head of Steele Inc. so Oliver really didn't really need to act, but he didn't like to stay at home alone even if Thea was there. He was also very good at pretending to be someone he wasn't from years of being dragged to high society parties. 

So at age eleven Oliver Queen took the world by storm in his very first movie. It was then that finding his soulmate was pushed to the back of his mind, buried under memorized lines, world traveling and work. 

It's needless to say that at age twelve when the word Hello was written on his arm in fast sketched letters he was completely unprepared. 

\------------

Barry had decided he would wait until it was later in the night to try contacting his soulmate. One because it was polite and two because Iris showed up at his house ready to party at six am. 

God he loves Iris. He would have been completely alone without her. They spend the day playing board games, building blanket forts and watching movies. 

Later in the afternoon after they had eaten cake and the sun was slowly sinking lower in the sky, she asked about his soulmate. Barry turned to look at her from where she was situated in their fort to look at her. 

“I haven't tried yet…” he said sheepishly looking down. 

Iris looked at him offended and shoved a pen in his face. 

Barry took a deep breath and uncapped the pen before writing Hello in carefully practised script on his forearm. 

\-----------

They filming an intense scene when Laurel watched the word Hello appear on her childhood friend’s forearm. She carefully looked at Sara who stood near by. The younger girl caught her eyes after staring at Oliver’s arm for only a moment. Laurel nods and Sara starts sobbing and throwing herself on the floor. 

The Lance sisters had been acting since the two were five and three respectively. Over those years Sara had gotten a reputation as kind of a diva, which worked in the sisters’ favour in situations like this. 

Instantly all eyes in the room were on the ten year old, Laurel took this chance to grab Oliver and drag him off set and into a quiet corner. When they stopped Oliver was obviously upset. 

“What's going on Laurel?” He asked arms crossed. 

“It looks like your soulmate turned ten today.” She whispered pointing to his arm. 

Oliver’s arms shot out and he began looking at them frantically. Then he found the little five letter word and gaped at it in awe. He looked up at his friend face almost glowing in excitement. She pulled out a pen and handed it to him. 

He uncapped it and stared at his arm. Laurel sighed. She pushed his hand so that the pen was touching his arm, just below the Hello. “You think too much Ollie, just write.” 

He nodded and wrote Hi. 

\-----------

Barry and Iris stared awestruck as Hi appeared just below his Hello. 

Iris jumped up. “Holy crap!! Your soulmate is ten too! They wrote back!!”

Barry tugged on his friends shirt hissing at her shush. A hand slapped across her mouth and she dropped back to the floor next to her best friend. Once settled again she grinned like a maniac. 

“My soulmate is twelve like you. I told you that years ago.” Barry whispered. “What should I write next?” He looked at the girl next to him clearly nervous. 

“Your name, duh.” She answered, so excited almost snatching the pen out of his hands to do it herself. 

Barry levelled a flat look at her. “Iris you know that names don't appear through the bond, you have to figure that out yourself.” 

“Oh, yeah, I forgot that.”she replied frowning. They both sat quietly for a few seconds before Iris snapped her fingers. “I know! Why don't you write ‘my name starts with a B.’” 

Barry perks up at that, before immediately slumping back down. “That won't work but… I do have an idea.” He got to work, obscuring his arm from his friend. Two minutes later he was done and he showed it to her. 

My name starts with a and then it at had a very anatomically correct bee. 

Iris beamed at her best friend. “Barry you're a genius!” She grabbed him pulling him closer. 

“That's what my IQ says Iris.” He mumbled and she smacked him. They stayed that way for a minute before Iris dragged his arm where they both could see as they waited for a reply. 

\----------

Laurel and Oliver waited breathlessly for the reply. When it comes it’s a little bit strange. 

My name starts with a and there was a picture of what looked like a wasp. 

“Their name starts with a wasp?” Laurel asked confused. 

“It's a bee.” Oliver said quietly. “Their name starts with a B.” 

The two stare at his arm. Across the studio a voice they both recognize as the director’s, shouts, “Oliver! Laurel! You are back on in five!” 

They look at each other worried. Laurel speaks first. “You can't have that on your arm when we go back.” 

Oliver nods. “I know. I don't want my soulmate to be dragged into everything.” 

It takes Oliver only a second to formulate a reply. I can't have any writing on my arm right now, but here is my phone number 683-972-4360 and you can call me in three hours? 

A few seconds later. 

Ok 

Then B’s half of the writing on his arm disappears. A twinge of sadness snakes through him at seeing his handwriting alone on his arm. 

Laurel frowns at his arm. “I’m sorry Ollie.” Oliver nodded. Even though they were both twelve they both knew that it was safer to keep the ones they love secret. 

“I'm going to go wash this off, buy me some time?” He asked softly. 

All Laurel could do was nod and glare at the ground as her best friend trudged off. Soulmates shouldn't have to be a secret. 

\-----------

Barry holds the house phone in one hand and the post it note with his soulmates number in the other. He looked at the clock next to his bed, it was eleven, exactly three hours from when his soulmate last contacted him. Two hours since Iris left to go home with her dad and fifteen minutes since his mom has kissed him goodnight. 

He took a deep breath trying to steady himself, before slowly typing the number in. He double checked it once and then hit call. 

His soulmate picked up on the third ring. “Hello, this is Oliver Queen. Who is this?” A soft male voice said. 

Barry was so excited he might explode. Unfortunately that leads to speed talking. 

“HiImBarryAllenandImyoursoulmate.”

“I didn't understand any of that could you slow down?” The voice, no Oliver asked. 

Barry took a deep breath as the Adrenalin began to fade and the anxiety crept in. Then he spoke. 

“Hi. My name is Barry Allen? You have me this number a few hours ago because I'm your soulmate?” 

Silence. Barry's anxiety grew with every second until it was almost as unbearable as the silence. 

“Oh. You're a boy.” 

That was when Barry broke. 

\-----------

Oliver was pretty sure that his soulmate was having a panic attack on the phone with him. He smacked himself mentally for saying that, clearly his soulmate struggles with anxiety. 

So he did what he always did when Tommy had one about not meeting his father's expectations. 

“Barry please breathe. I need you take a breath in with your mouth for four seconds. Then hold it for six. Then release for for eight. Then repeat.” Oliver listened to his soulmate do as instructed for a few repetitions, before he heard Barry's still cry shaky voice across the line. 

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to freak out. Please don't hate me.” The younger’s voice was but a whisper. 

Oliver frowned before replying. “Why would I hate you for something you can't control? I should really be apologizing. I didn't mean to be so blunt, I was just surprised.” 

“So you don't care that I'm not a girl?” A hopeful whisper asked. 

Oliver sighed softly. “Not really and you shouldn't care either. The universe decided we were soulmates so that's how it's gonna be.” 

Apparently that was all it took too set Barry off, because not a second later he was babbling about everything and anything. 

In about five minutes he learned that Barry was in sixth grade (it took his a second to realize that his soulmate had skipped two grades), that a girl named Iris was his best and only friend, that he loves his parents, that red is his favourite colour and so much more that he got lost in the deluge of information. 

It was only after Barry was out of breath that Oliver realized that the younger had not once mentioned his movies. 

So cautiously he asked, “Do you know who I am?” 

He could practically feel Barry nodding through the phone. “Of course! You're Oliver Queen, you play Jason Anderson in the New Demigods movies. Iris loves the first one and can't wait for the second one to come out. I personally like the books better, no offence to you of course! I just like reading more than TV. Why do you ask?” Barry sounded genuinely curious. 

“I don't know. I guess when most people find out who I am they just try to use me for things.” Oliver said sadly, laying down in his bed. 

Barry made a sound of understanding. “I get that, I'm pretty smart. So lots of people try to use me to do their work. I also know a thing or two about sticking out and I know how good it feels to just be able to fade into the background. I won't try to use you. That's not what having a soulmate is all about. I also won't tell anyone because I don't want you to have to make excuses for me and you should be able to have one thing in your life that isn't all over the news.” He finished and took a deep breath before waiting for a reply. 

Oliver sighed in relief, then smiled. He liked Barry Allen, though he was a little self depreciating, but Oliver could work with that.

“I think this is the start of something great.” If Barry's happy squee was anything to go by he thought so to. 

\----------

It was. By the end of the call, they had established that Barry could call anytime after ten thirty unless told otherwise. It was also decided that because Barry loved to draw on himself and Oliver needed to stay drawing free during shooting that Barry could draw his thighs because those were always covered by pants. They also decided that on days when Oliver was not on camera that Barry could draw on his arms. When Oliver finally hangs up he realizes that he finally has something to look forward to. 

\----------

When Barry hung up with Oliver he honestly couldn't believe his luck. How did the universe decide that he was lucky enough to have a soulmate like Oliver Queen? 

He couldn't wait to try out his new pens in the morning. 

\-----------

That night was the first night Oliver and Barry truly shared a dream scape. It was the first night in almost two years that Oliver hadn't had a nightmare. Bloody hands and dead eyes were drown out by chemical equations and a brightly coloured garden. 

\-----------

That night marked a shift in behaviour in both. Oliver smiled genuinely more, much to Tommy and the Lance sisters’ enjoyment and Barry acted more like himself instead of the shadow he usually was at school much to Iris’ worry and Tony Woodward’s excitement.

Barry called every other night when he was able to. His parents didn't question the almost doubled phone bill but smiled quietly at each other.

Oliver woke up every day with an exquisite drawing on his thighs often science themed and smiled. 

They learned things about each other.

Barry learned about Oliver’s father's death, about Tommy, Laurel and Sara, his love for Thea and mother, his dislike of anatomical drawings, and his love of acting. 

Oliver learned that Barry was almost incapable of making friends, that he likes spaghetti the best, Iris is truly a saint, that Barry is basically bully nip and that science is his reprieve. 

This gentle back and forth continued for over a year. That was until March 18th. 

\----------

Barry had been tucked safely in his bed when the house began to shake. Curiosity getting the better of him he snuck down stairs, quietly trying to see what was going on. 

His father was lying in the middle of the living room in a pool of blood with a knife stuck into his chest. Barry had opened his mouth to scream when his mother saw him. 

She was struggling with a man in a yellow leather suit, who kept swiping at her with a knife. Her looking over at Barry had given just enough of a distraction that the yellow man was able to stab her just as he had done Barry's father. 

Barry watched her fall to the ground dead. The man with red eyes looked at the dead Allens on the floor and then locked eyes with Barry. Then said four words that Barry would never forget. 

“That should be enough.” Then the man in yellow disappeared in a bolt of lightning. 

Barry screamed. 

\-----------

Oliver had been on film when it happened. Ironically it happened during a scene where one of Jason’s friends was to die and Oliver was supposed to mourn them. 

They had just started the take when Oliver felt it. It felt like being shot in the chest. Tears leaked down his cheeks and he fell to the ground sobbing. Apparently he had done what they had wanted because they had cut the take. All Oliver could feel was pain, terrible soul crushing pain. It was Sara that realized it was real. 

She had run over, closely followed by her sister and dragged him into her arms. “Shit Ollie what's wrong?” 

He couldn't speak all there was was pain. 

\----------

Joe was one of the first cops on the scene. He busted into the house only to be struck in the face with the scent of blood. 

Barry had collapsed into a heap at the bottom the stairs. He was sobbing. Joe pulled the boy into his arms. Barry hung on for dear life. Snotting on his best friend’s dad’s neck. The phone rang. 

“I checked their pulses Joe. They’re gone.”

Joe’s heart shattered. 

\----------

After Joe arrived everything was a blur. He remembered being tucked into an orange blanket and set into a police car. Then he remembers being in the police station for hours. He remembers the looks of pity.  
He remembers a woman coming to talk to him. He tells her what happened. She writes it down. 

“Can I have my phone call please?” 

The woman's head snapped up to look at him. “Who are you going to call?” 

“Can I have my phone call please?” 

The woman looked at him funny, but brought him a phone. She stared at him as he typed in the number he knew so well. 

\----------

As soon as Oliver had his senses back he tried to call Barry. He stumbled over to where he had left his phone to charge. 

He called the Allen house 20 times before it wouldn't let him anymore. 

Tommy made him sit down and have some water. 

When his phone rang he jumped at it. 

“Are you okay? What's going on? Are you safe?” 

Sobbing met his ears. 

“What's wrong? Are you okay?” This was met with the hard breathing of a panic attack. “B, I need you to calm down. Can you take some deep breaths? Remember four seconds in, hold six seconds, eight seconds out.” Oliver listened as Barry complied and waited to talk before the crying had softened. “Now, can you tell me what's going on?” 

“They died Ollie. They got stabbed in their hearts by a man in a yellow suit. I'm all alone now Ollie.” Barry hiccuped from across the line. 

Oliver knew Barry had only three important people in his life. They could only mean that Nora and Henry were dead. That meant that they were stabbed to death right in front of their son. Oliver liked Nora and Henry when he had met them over the phone. They were good for Barry, but now they were gone. 

“B, you're never alone you have me.” He lets his words sink in. “Do you know what's going to happen next?”

“I going into the system. I don't have anyone else, so I guess I might not be able to call you as much.” That realization led to a pick up in crying. 

That's when Oliver realized he was also crying. “We will figure it out okay? You will call as much as you are able and you will keep drawing and I will see if I can get anything on my side okay? Do you want me to stay on the phone?” He asked softly. 

“No, I have to finish talking to this lady. She doesn't believe me, but I probably wouldn't believe me either. Bye Ollie.” Barry sounded tired and his voice was thick with tears. 

“Bye B.” The line clicked dead. 

All eyes were in the studio were on him. He wiped his face and straightened himself out. 

“My soulmates parent were just stabbed to death.” 

Jaws dropped. 

\----------

Barry liked Ms. Williams. She was nice and let him check out extra books at the public library. She also told him that he didn't have any late fees and he appreciated that because he had no money. 

He liked her a lot more than his foster parents. 

They made him do strange things he tried not to think about. Iris said that Joe was trying to become his guardian but that wouldn't happen soon enough to help him. So when Ms. Williams offered to teach him French from when he got off school to 5:30, Barry jumped at it. That way he had a legitimate excuse to not be home and he got to learn French. 

It was after one of these lessons that he asked to borrow the woman’s phone. 

She had given him a sad smile. “Your foster parents don't let you call your soulmate, do they?” Barry shook his head. “If someone didn't let me talk to my Amelia, I would probably freak out. Are you sure you don't want me to tell CPS about them?”

Barry shook his head and in French he said, “No because they might move me away from you and you're the best part of my day.”

Ms. Williams smiled and slid him we phone. “You are progressing well, take the rest of the day off. Call your soulmate.” Barry smiled like the sun and began frantically typing in numbers. 

\----------

Oliver hadn't heard from Barry in almost three weeks and not for the drawings that appeared on his legs like clockwork he would have called the police. 

Barry's last call was only five minutes long and all he could understand was that he was okay and that his foster family didn't let him use the phone. Oliver had tried to interrupt but Barry had hung up quickly. So Oliver had taken up answering every random number that called his phone in hope that it was Barry. 

So when he got a call from a random number in Central City he was hopeful. 

“Hello this is Oliver.” The practiced words rolled off his tongue. 

“Hi Ollie.” Barry's soft voice echoed back. 

“Barry!! Are you okay? I haven't heard from you in forever!”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Ms. Williams let me use her phone, she's teaching me French. Do you speak French Ollie?” He asked voice tired. 

“Yes, but you’re avoiding.” 

“I'm sorry. My foster parents won't let me call you, but I'll keep drawing.” Barry said quietly. 

“Can I help you with anything?”

“No, Iris said that Joe’s temporary guardianship paperwork is almost through, so I should be out of there in a few months.” Oliver scrunched his brows together. 

“Okay. If you say so… Tell me about your day.” 

That sent Barry off babbling about what he had learned from Ms. Williams and the dog he petted on the way to school. Oliver was more than content to just sit back and listen. 

\----------

The next day, Barry woke up extra early to draw on his arms. Oliver had said that he wouldn't be filming for a few months. That meant Barry could draw where he wanted. 

He took out his father's old metal lunch box that was filled with his prized possessions. His mother’s wedding ring, his flash drives with his special coding, The Little Dinosaur and the pens he had received for his tenth birthday. 

He opened the medium tipped black pen. He was in a space-y mood. 

\----------

Oliver was completely unsurprised to find his arms covered in drawings. They started on both shoulders, his right arm had the planets with little fun facts about each and had to scale distances between each planet. The other arm was littered with stars, some of which are blown up and made of information about what they were and chemical equations. 

They were beautiful and so very Barry. 

When he had showed up for lunch with Tommy and the Lances, Sara had run her fingers along them. 

She had looked up at him with her big blue eyes. “They are very pretty, but all this tells me is that your soulmate is a giant nerd.” 

Laurel swatted her playfully before rubbing her hand on Oliver's arm. 

“They are very nice Ollie.” 

Oliver smiled like the sun. 

\----------

It only took Barry a week to realize that he should cover his arms when he drew on them. He had been browsing through the magazine section waiting for Ms. Williams to finish her library duties, when he had seen his drawings in full display on the cover of a Disney magazine. 

The next day when he came to school in a sweater even though it was hot, no one asked questions. 

\-----------

Oliver felt the day that Joe’s guardianship papers went through. It was afternoon when he it happened. He had been sitting at home when he felt joy flood through humans he had smiled. 

Barry's life was finally on the up and up. 

\----------

Barry had been looking forward to the science fair since he was moved in with the West's. Before he had figured he wouldn't be able to afford it, but when Iris had given him the papers filled out and signed, he had hugged him for five minutes straight. 

He had never expected to get first prize. 

His project had seemed pretty simple to him. He had always loved the idea of speed and the connection between it and lightning had seemed easy to see. 

He wasn't going to complain. His project had caught the attention of Tina McGee. THE Tina McGee. Then she had asked him, HIM, to be part of an internship programs for scientific minds. He had almost died with joy. When Joe said yes he might have fainted but he couldn't remember. 

Barry honestly felt the worse for Oliver. He had talked so fast and so long that Oliver at one point in time, Oliver asked him to pause so he could look some things up just to understand him. Then Oliver had to talk him down from a panic attack about what might happen his first day. Oliver was good like that. 

He had stayed up late into the night finishing up and preparing his engineering and science notebooks as well as his French paper. He probably would have stayed up later, but at midnight, Iris came into his room confiscated his notebooks and put them in her underwear drawer. She had then proceeded to pick out his outfit for the next day and then picked him up and threw him in bed before turning out the lights and leaving. 

Unsurprisingly, he had fallen asleep in five minutes after the Adrenaline had faded. 

Joe and Iris had dropped him off at Mercury labs at exactly 3:00. At exactly 3:01 as he pushed the doors open he started to panic.

The world around him had almost finished fading to grey when a hand settled on his shoulder. Barry had jumped and slipped away surprised. 

There was a boy with brown hair standing in front of him. It took Barry a second for his brain to get back online. The other buy looked at him concerned. “Are you okay? I'm glad Ronnie sent me down to check do you. My name is Cisco Ramon and you must be the new kid.” Cisco stuck out his hand for and hand shake. 

Barry took it and shook. “My name is Barry Allen and I guess I am the new kid?”

Cisco smiled and let go and gestured Barry to follow. “Come with me and I'll introduce you to the crew.” 

Barry smiled. 

Cisco led him into the elevator, babbling about the lab and the statistics. Barry watched the floors tick by. 

When the doors opened, he was greeted by the sight of lab tables littered in equipment, too bright fluorescent lights and five sets of eyes. 

Cisco clapped him on the back. “Welcome to the clubhouse.” 

The next five minutes where a whirl of introductions. Ronnie who was tall with brown hair and 15 and his friend (apparently more than that according to Cisco’s face) Caitlin who had strawberry blonde hair, a microscope and was the same age as Ronnie. Next was Lena who was also 15 and had black hair and was working with a pair of younger teens one named Kara with blonde hair and the other named Winn who was frantically typing on a computer. Both of them were 12 like Barry. 

When introductions were finished, Cisco wheeled out a white board and handed Barry a marker. Barry looked at the long haired boy curiously, Cisco smiled and punched him in the arm. “Well Dr. McGee chose you for a reason, so let's see it.” All eyes were on him. 

Barry opened his marker, pulled out his notebook and set to work proving himself. 

\----------

The first time Oliver Queen met Felicity Smoak he was 14 and on the set of the third New Demigods movie. She had been called into teach him to tutor him in Math, Science, Computer science, and anything else that Moira deemed important. 

She was young and blonde and reminded him distinctly of Barry, so it was understandable when Oliver had taken to her immediately. As weeks turned into months, she became one of very few people he considered a friend. 

The best part of all was that her soulmate spoke science just like Barry. So some days Oliver would come in, arms covered in strands of DNA and Felicity would look up and nod as her arms were slowly covered in Math that neither of them understood. Most of their study sessions was trying to decipher what their soulmates had written on them that day. 

Felicity’s soulmate’s name was Ray and he was four years older than her, making him 18. In return for that Oliver told Felicity about Barry and how she reminded him of the younger boy. 

Felicity smiled. “I would love to meet him some day.”

Oliver smiled, albeit quieter and said. “I hope you get to too.”

\----------

After that first day, Barry slipped into the lab as though he had been there from the beginning. He got on with most everyone instantly and his ideas helped push everyone to greater heights.

Almost a year later he was happy. He got to spend half his school day in the labs instead of taking math and science classes. He got to spend every morning with Iris and call Oliver almost every night. Life was good. 

Except that his lab mates (And Iris who followed him there more often than not) began asking questions about his soulmate. 

It began innocently enough. Caitlin and Ronnie had been talking about soulmates as part of their newest research project and soon the whole lab had gotten involved with it. So Caitlin used them as her first test subjects and had given them a survey. 

Caitlin looked down at her clipboard before asking the first question. “How many of you know who your soulmate is?” All six participants raised their hands. 

She wrote something down before reading the next question. “Are you in contact with your soulmate, whether through writing or some other form of communication?” Five nodded this time as Barry had gone back to staring at his white board marker in hand. “Can you list what types?” and one by one they did.

Cisco went first. “Gypsy and I write on our arms back and forth when we have time.” 

Caitlin nodded and wrote something on her clip board, before looking up at Winn. “James and I write on our arms back and forth, but we email too at least once a day.” The brown haired boy said blushing as Kara and Lena cooed at him.  
Kara and Lena went next, the raven haired girl let the sunshiny blonde speak for them. “Lena is my soulmate and I met her when she was 13 and I was ten through my cousin. Most of the time we just talk to each other, but sometimes we text or I’ll doodle a little bit.” A small smile snuck across Caitlin’s face as Kara clutched the green eyed girls hand a little tighter. 

Finally everyone looked at Iris (Again minus Barry, because he was trying very hard to become invisible), who they all knew loved talking about soulmates. “Well Eddie and I text back and forth, because neither of us are drawers and Barry,” She jerks a thumb at her adopted brother/best friend. “Calls his soulmate every night and wakes up early every morning to draw for them.” 

Now everyone was staring at Barry, who was blushing so hard, they could see it in the white boards reflective surface. 

Caitlin just rolls her eyes and moves to the next question. “You don’t have to give background to this one, just yes or no. Can you or your soulmate feel when something traumatic happens?” Dead silence. It was a well known fact that everyone there had shitty childhoods. Five yeses and one no (Iris because nothing super traumatic had ever happened to either of them that they could remember). 

It was quiet as everyone re lived something they rather not speak about. 

Barry broke the silence. “My soulmate told me how it felt the day my parents died.” He said still facing the whiteboard. “He said it felt like someone had carved out his heart and then sewed him back together again. It felt like something huge was missing and there was no way to fix it.” 

There was no more talk about soulmates for the rest of that day. 

\----------

Oliver liked when Barry drew on his arms. It had been going on so long that he could tell what his other half felt just by where and what was drawn. 

So when a tiny universe of stars, galaxies and planets appeared across his hands he knew it had been a sad day. He watched as a tiny words wrote themselves along the edge of the drawing.

Ne souhaite-t-il pas que vous puissiez tenir l'univers dans la paume de votre main? 

\---------

Unfortunately for Barry, it was two weeks later when the topic came up again. Barry always wore long sleeves or anyone who looked at Oliver and then at him would be able to see the connection. 

 

Cisco always asked about them and Barry always brushed him off. Until today. 

Oliver had asked him to wear short sleeves and not draw anything until the afternoon. When Barry had asked why Oliver had replied that later he was going to be on a talk show where they were going to try to prove that Sara and him were soulmates. Barry had made barfing noises but agreed as Oliver laughed. 

So Barry had worn his favourite NASA shirt and brought his special pens to the lab for the afternoon, unfortunately Iris had decided to come with and had turned on the TV to watch the very interview that Barry was at the center of. 

It was around lunch time so most of the lab had stopped working and decided to watch it. 

On the screen Oliver and Sara were sitting next to each other in big white chairs, each in a white chair. 

“I heard a little rumour that you two are soulmates is that true?” The host asked leaning in like it was a secret. 

Both blondes laughed, but Sara spoke. “Thats hilarious! Oliver and I have been friends since we were very small, but soulmates, no way.” She scrunched up her face like the very thought of that was disgusting as the audience laughed. Oliver smacked her in the arm.

“We are going to need proof of that.” The host says teasingly. 

Sara pulled a pen out of her pocket. “Have you seen the artwork on Oliver’s arms? I can barely draw stick people, but here you go.” She held up her hand and drew a little heart on it. Oliver did the same, but there was nothing. 

The host laughed. “That could have been make up for all we know! Do you want to see some more proof folks?” She asked turning to the audience, who roared in agreement. 

Oliver looked put upon as he snatched the pen from Sara’s hand. “Fine, here you go.” On his hand in big letters was SVP. 

Barry watched as they appeared on his hand and uncapped his pen. 

The host looked confused. “What does it mean?” 

“It means S'il vous plaît or please in French.” Oliver replied, lines starting to creep up his arms.

“Is your soulmate French?” She asked excitedly. 

“No, but they do speak it.” 

At that point Barry tuned out and poured all his focus into his drawings, he wanted them to be perfect. He had decided on the design the night before and practised even. It was going to be a thunderstorm, every line, curve and angle made from the equations he had been working on for weeks. The epitome of them to together, science and beauty. Creation and Power. It was only fitting, as the night they had met it had been raining. 

Barry lost himself in the drawing and the next time he looked up, he met seven stunned faces. 

\-----------

That night when Oliver called to congratulate Barry, he was met by the sound of sobs. 

Instantly Oliver was on alert. “Barry what’s wrong, are you okay?” 

“I’m so sorry Ollie. It was an accident. I didn’t mean to let it happened, I was just so focused…” Barry’s voice broke off into more sobs. 

Oliver swallowed hard. “Barry can you tell me what happened?” 

A hiccup sounded across the line. “I was drawing like you asked me to.” There was a pause as Barry gathered himself. “But Iris turned on the interview in the lab, so I watched along, until I started drawing and you know how lost I get in my drawings.” Oliver did know, one time Barry had been drawing while on the phone with him and they had hung at midnight after Barry realized that Oliver hadn’t hung up. “So when I finished drawing they were all standing over me and then they started asking too many questions, so I had a panic attack and ran away. Now they know and I’m sorry.”

Oliver let out the breath he had been holding. “I don’t care as long as you are safe. Are you safe?” A sad mm-hmm noise echoed down the line. “Good, we can figure out the rest from there. Please talk to them instead of just running away. Don’t let this ruin your happiness.”

“Okay. I’m really sorry. I have to go to bed now and I will talk to my friends tomorrow. I love you good night.” Then the phone clicked dead. 

Oliver stared into the darkness, blushing like he hadn’t in years. Barry had said he loved him. Even if it was an accident it still counted and god had he been waiting to hear that. 

“I love you too.” Echoed quietly through the dark room. 

\----------

Barry had talked it over with his friends the next day and suffered through all of their questions. Life had pretty much gone back to normal after Iris had gotten over his ultimate betrayal, except for the never ending spout of jokes and occasional random moments of awe when they remember that OLIVER QUEEN is his soulmate. 

The part Barry is most thankful for is the fact that they all promise to keep his secret. 

\----------

Its Felicity that offers up the Idea of filming part of the fifth movie in Central City. When Oliver realizes what she is trying to do, he jumps on the idea so fast it gives him whiplash. 

When the director agrees, well Oliver just about dies. He spends the whole night talking to Barry about the best things to do in Central City and the possibility of meeting. After three and a half years of talking back and forth they might get to meet face to face.

He should bring a gift. 

With that thought he scrambled out of bed and over to the tiny safe he kept deep in the bowels of his closet. Quickly he tipped in the code and retrieved the mint tin he kept inside. Carefully he opened the tiny metal container and as always inside was a ring. It was golden, etched with tiny letters too small and worn to read and had a tiny ruby inlaid. It was a soulmate ring, passed down through generations of his father’s family. It would be perfect.

He set it on his night stand before slipping into his bed and falling asleep. 

\----------

Two weeks later, it was the day that Oliver arrived in Central City and Barry was so excited he might explode. At breakfast him and Iris watched as the young celebrity disembarked the plane. They watched as he waved to the crowds, too bright smile in place and as he ducked into a limo. The two then smiled at each other and began giggling maniacally, causing Joe to look at them increasingly concerned over his cup of coffee. 

“Is there something I should know about?” The old cop asked. 

“No.” Was the immediate and all too fast answer, as Iris grabbed Barry and dragged him up stairs. 

Once the two were safely locked in Iris’ bedroom, she turned to Barry, look of confidence on her face. “Let's go over the plan one more time before tonight.”

The plan had been something all parties had been working on for weeks. It had begun its formulation when one Felicity Smoak had appeared at Mercury Labs. As it turns out, she was on Tina McGee’s list of super smart teenagers and had asked if she could drop by. As soon as she stepped into the lab, it had taken her all of two seconds to realize why Oliver loved Barry. That was when she offered her services if necessary to ensure that the two met. That had sparked a planning session everyday at lunch that had eventually become known as THE Plan. 

As soon as Iris spoke, Barry began dutifully reciting THE Plan. “We will wait a while until Ollie’s arrival has cooled off, then one night at around nine o'clock, Diggle will say that Oliver is going to bed early. Then Oliver and Sara will take the stairs and exit the back of the building while Laurel and Tommy exit the front to go to a party, dragging the media attention away from the back door. Next, Ronnie will take the night shift at the diner he works at 45 minutes out of town while we convince Joe to take a night shift. Then, I will sneak out with my stuff and will meet Oliver in the park with the Galileo statue and we will go to the diner on his muffled motorcycle where we will spend the next few hours under Felicity and Ronnie’s careful watch.” He took a deep breath and looked at his sister. 

Iris’ grin lit the room as she punched him in the shoulder. “Looks like you have it all memorized, let’s go to school.” She grabbed her bag and ran down stairs. 

Barry just stared at the door open mouthed. 

\----------

Oliver was anxious. It was officially 10:00 and Barry still hadn’t shown up. He was starting to think this was a bad idea. 

Oliver was about to leave when there was a rustling in the bushes and low and behold the cutest person he had ever seen stumbled out. He was wearing a blue sweater and carrying a backpack. He had fluffy brown hair and Hazel eyes and looked like he was about to cry. 

“Barry?” The boy’s eyes zeroed in on him. 

“Oliver?” He asked tentatively. Oliver nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but it was too late. “Oh good, because it would have been super weird if it wasn’t you? I can’t believe it’s you! I have waited so long to meet you and I was afraid I was too late, or that you had left or that you wouldn’t like me and just leave. Oh god, I’m babbling again aren’t I? I am so bad at social interactions and I am like so nervous right now.” The boy slapped a hand over his mouth. 

Oliver laughed and Barry blushed. The older boy held out the helmet he had brought for the ride to the diner. “Ready to go?” Barry nodded viciously and snatched the helmet from Oliver’s hand as the older teen laughed. He had then proceeded to help Barry onto his motorcycle.

Oliver revved the engine and Barry clutched him tighter. It made the older boy smile as did the tiny scream that Barry peeped out as the motorcycle began to ride. 

Ten minutes later, they arrived windswept and flush cheeked at Stein’s Diner. Ronnie waved at them as Barry dragged Oliver to his favourite booth in the back. They sat across from each other and just stared for a minute. 

“You look different than I was expecting.” Oliver said carefully as he watched Barry's face fall to what Oliver assumed was his anxiety face. “A good different.” Barry looked up at him with a soft smile. Not knowing what to do next, Oliver pulled out the mint box he had prepared weeks earlier. “I brought this for you.” Barry tugged it to his side of the table before digging through his own bag. 

“I brought you something too. Open them at the same time?” Oliver nodded and opened the tiny box in front of him. Inside was a ring, clearly old and well loved. He looked up to thank Barry, when he noticed his the younger’s look of awe. 

“Thank you Ollie.” There was a reverence in his voice that made Oliver a little weak in the knees. Barry slipped the ring onto his middle finger. 

“Thank you too.” Barry smiled like the sun. 

“I want to see pictures of your sister. You talk about her all the time and I have always wanted to see what she looks like.”

Oliver whips out his phone, always ready to brag about his baby sister. 

Ronnie just watches from across the room as the two slowly get closer as the night progresses.

(Later that night when Oliver arrives in his hotel room greeted by five eager faces. “He's perfect.” Tommy smacked him on the shoulder.)

\---------

(When Barry arrives at the lab the next afternoon greeted with seven cautiously optimistic faces he grins a little dazed. “He's better than I ever could have imagined.” This was greeted by triumphant cheers.) 

They decide to meet as often as possible. 

\-----------

Joe West was made a detective for a reason and it wasn't just his pretty face.  
So it wasn't that challenging to figure out that his kids were up to something. 

After four days of suspicious activity he decided to take action. He waited until Iris was helping Barry out the door to do so. 

“Where do you think you're going?” Both teens froze. When they turned around, Iris looked defiant and Barry looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack. 

“I'm not gonna lie because then you'll never let us do anything again.” Iris said clearly a little salty. “Barry is going out to meet his soulmate.” 

Rage burned through Joe. “What the hell does that mean?” 

This time Barry jumped to his own defence. “It's all supervised by Ronnie and we aren't doing anything. It's just the first chance I've had to meet him and it's been so nice.” Barry looks a little dreamy at the end. 

“Him?” Joe asked both confused and still slightly angry. 

Barry snapped back to reality and Iris stood in between her father and her best friend, hands on her hips. “Is there a problem with that?”

That's when Joe realized what he had implied. 

“No, no, it's not that. I was just surprised.” He took a step forward and Iris took a step back toward her brother. “Can I meet him?”

Barry worried his bottom lip. “Let me see if tonight will work?” He pulled out a pen and wrote something on his arm. The reply was instantaneous. “He says that it would be fine and asks that you please don't kill him.”

Joe cracked his knuckles and grabbed his car keys. “That depends on if I like what he has to say.” 

It was needless to say that the fifteen minute car ride to Stein’s had been one of the tensest of his life. 

As soon as Joe stepped foot into the diner and realized who was there, suddenly all the secrecy made sense. 

It appeared as though Barry's soulmate was an actual celebrity. 

The younger blonde man was clearly anxious when Joe slid into the booth across from him and Barry. 

“So what are your intentions with my son?” Joe said icily. 

Barry groaned and buried his face in his arms with embarrassment. 

Ronnie snickered across the room and Oliver just looked emotionally constipated like he normally did. 

That was the most uncomfortable ten minutes of Barry Allen’s life. 

When Joe had finished asking his questions, tossing out threats and glaring, he decided that Oliver was appropriately shamed and very different in person than in magazines. He tipped Ronnie twenty dollars and left. 

The old cop smiled. It was good that Barry had someone like that in his corner. 

(After Joe left Barry apologized profusely, but Oliver just said he was glad that Barry had someone to look out for him.)

\----------

Unfortunately, the filming in Central didn't last for ever and too soon it was time for Oliver to go. 

On their final meeting Oliver gave Barry the gift that he had come up with the previous night. 

A cell phone. 

Barry looked up at him in awe before shoving the phone into his pocket and hugging Oliver with all his tiny might. They stayed like that for what seemed like years.

Finally when they peeled away Barry's face was sticky with tears. “I'm gonna miss you.” 

Oliver hugged him tight once more. “Me too.” 

\-----------

Years rolled by covered in drawings and wrapped in happiness. 

Oliver continued acting and calling Barry when ever he got the chance and between pranks with Tommy, tutoring with Felicity, martial arts training with Diggle and sass time with the Lance sisters calls should have been far and few between. Oliver always made time. 

Barry continued working in his lab and going to highschool with Iris. His ideas and Cisco’s engineering genius pushed them both to new heights, musical nights with Kara and Winn, tea with Lena and gentle teasing and check ups from Caitlin and Ronnie, marked his years. 

Both made time to draw or talk or both and continued to get to know each other outside of the public’s eyes. 

That was until the worst happened. 

\---------

Bullying had always been a fact of life for Barry. He was a skinny kid who loved science and had dead parents, what more could a bully ask for?

The one day he made the mistake of letting the fact that his soulmate was a boy slip. 

He hadn't even made it to lunch. 

\---------

Oliver was used to getting odd looks at press conferences, but these were the strangest by far. 

One look in the reflective glass of a camera and he understood. 

In big, bold, sharpie letters on his forehead was the word FAG. He looked down at his arms only to discover that they too were covered in things he couldn't imagine saying. 

That was when he took action. In less than a second he was off the stage with a phone pressed to his ear. 

“Iris have you seen Barry?”

“Not since LA this morning. Is something wrong?” She sounded concerned and confused. 

“Yes and we need to find him now. Call everyone in. He is in deep trouble.” Oliver hung up and began to fight his way to the limo he knew was right around the corner. 

\---------

His phone rang as soon as he slid into the limo. 

It was Caitlin. “It's bad Oliver. Like you should get here now bad. We are headed to Central General as we speak.” 

Oliver turned to Diggle who was driving. “The airport as fast as you can.” 

Diggle nodded and stepped on the gas. 

\---------

When Barry woke up he didn't know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't Oliver. 

“Hey” he croaked, his voice thin. 

The older boy's head snapped up from where he was looking at his lap eyes closed. He leaned in holding Barry's hand tighter. “Are you okay? Is there anything I can get you?” Barry saw that his face was dark with tears. 

“What happened?”

Oliver sighed his blue eyes pleading. “Caitlin and Ronnie found you beaten to hell in a alley just outside your school. They brought you here. I was at a press conference, when my body was covered with some very decorative language and I rushed here as soon as I could.” Oliver took a deep breath, before speaking very quietly. “Our secret is out Barry.” 

Barry squeezed Oliver's hand not liking the look on the older teen’s face. 

“As long as we're both okay.” He whispered. 

Then Oliver looked angry. “Barry you are in the hospital. That is not okay.” 

It hurt to smile but Barry did it anyway. “Neither of us is dead and I will recover.” Oliver sighed and melted back into his chair. 

“I guess” He looked at Barry directly eyes. “I love you, so please be more careful.” 

Barry's smile was softer this time. “You know me always living on the dangerous side of life.” 

Oliver kissed him on the forehead. 

They were going to be okay.


End file.
